Lineman Decommits for Michigan
One of the strongest indicators of the quality of a recruit is how many other top programs are trying to lure him away. Unfortunately, sometimes those schools succeed. That was the case when Indiana offensive lineman Dan Samuelson changed his mind about attending Nebraska and opted for Michigan instead.
Michigan is the third school Samuelson had given a commitment to. He had previously committed to Pittsburgh before committing to Nebraska. Here's a little tip for you Michigan dads. If Samuelson gets engaged to your daughter, don't offer to pay for the wedding. His idea of "commitment" probably isn't what you ideally want in a son-in-law.
Offensive line is clearly a position of need for this class. Only one two-deep player has graduated, but the depth chart is loaded with juniors to replace after next season. Since linemen usually redshirt, the time to find players to inherit those jobs is now. The Huskers have added visitors for next weekend that play on the offensive line. A couple of them come from the junior college rank, which gives you a sense of the urgency the coaches are feeling.
For all the grief NU offensive line coach Barney Cotton gets from fans, he has gotten remarkable production from walk-on players. Any concerns about star ratings on the line might be misplaced. It appears that offensive linemen are made, not born. Still, all of the slated visitors hold multiple offers from BCS conference schools. In that sense, these guys seem to have the physical tools.
We still may see the Huskers get a new commitment or two from the weekend's visitors. Bo Pelini's practice of telling recruits to go home and talk it over with their parents has reduced the number of kids accepting scholarships on their visit. In the next day or two we may find that the recruiting class has grown again. If not, there's still 23 shopping days until signing day.
1/14/2013
Didn’t bielema say something last year about a gentlemen’s agreement when it comes to recruiting in the B1G? Yah, didn’t think anyone gave a rats. Cry baby. Come on Bo and co., gotta stay on em!
GBR
1/14/2013
GOOD RIDDANCE! The guy has no honor! Sorry, but I was raised like many Americans to believe, when you tell someone you are going to do something, by god, you did it…Period. My dad told me that if I ever shook a man’s hand it became a contract that had better be honored or else I would hear from him big time. And for the bleeding hearts out there, don’t give me that crap about “Golly geez, he’s only a kid”. We ALL make decisions at that age. Sure there are instances where we may find out later a mistake has been made, however, based on our understanding of the word honor, we learned to live and learn from them and simply went on. It will be interesting to see how long this guy lasts at Michigan. Brady Hoke will not put up with any crap from him, and he will probably be screaming for his mama before spring practice has finished.
1/14/2013
Better to find out this lack of commitment now - rather than having yet another player come here and quickly leave. Captain Bly, your point is right on track - too easy to discard things in today’s society (divorce, reset a game, change a job, etc). The ability to sacrifice for a greater good and for long term gain for Team and Self is NOT where it needs to be… I’d rather have lesser talent that is committed, focused, and willing to work and sacrifice for the Team. Let’s go get the NEXT commitment from someone who wants to be here…
1/15/2013
Odd. Never hear them statments when a recruit decommits from a schol and chooses neb….
1/15/2013
Kid is just looking out for his interests. The school can back out of a commitment and does on occasion so I have no problem with a kid changing his mind if he feels there is a better fit for him elsewhere.
1/15/2013
Its best for both nu and the kid.. works both ways and at least he gave us time to look for others.. Wish him luck and move on..